Under the terms of his extension with the Patriots, right tackle Marcus Cannon will earn $19.8MM in cash over the first three years of the deal, which, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes (Twitter link), is often a key metric in contract analysis. So while Cannon’s new pact won’t approach that of Lane Johnson, who remains the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL, Cannon is still earning a top-tier RT contract through the three-year cash lens. Recent right tackles that have signed comparable deals include Mitchell Schwartz ($19.56MM in the first three years), Bryan Bulaga ($18.96MM), and Joe Barksdale ($16.5MM).
Here’s more from the AFC East, including another look at the Cannon extension:
- Negotiations between the Patriots and Cannon could have been greased by the recent agreement between the Falcons and fellow right tackle Ryan Schraeder, tweets Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap. Schraeder reached a five-year, $31.5MM deal with Atlanta last week that included $7.5MM in full guarantees. Cannon, meanwhile, scored $1MM more in total value, and while initial reports peg his guarantee at $14.5MM, that figure almost certainly refers to injury-only guarantees. As Fitzgerald notes (Twitter link), the Schraeder/Cannon extensions could place a cap on the right tackle market, and it will likely be up to a free agent to break through that barrier. Upcoming free agent right tackles include Riley Reiff, Ricky Wagner, and Sebastion Vollmer.
- The Jets have mismanaged the late-career struggles of cornerback Darrelle Revis, argues Fitzgerald in a full article for OTC. Because Revis’ 2017 guarantee is in the form of base salary (not prorated signing bonus), New York can’t cut him before the first day of free agency without the dead money accelerating onto the 2016 cap. As such, the club has little option than to carry his full cap charge until the 2017 league year begins, and then release him in order to save cap space.
- The Patriots‘ recent move to claim defensive tackle Darius Kilgo off waivers could indicate that the verdict of Alan Branch’s appeal of his four-game suspension is coming soon, Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com writes. Kilgo is a run stopper in the middle, which is Branch’s strong suit, so New England could be bracing for the impending loss of Branch.
- Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron is uncertain about his football future, as he tells Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post that his status is “up in the air right now.” Cameron, 28, was ruled out for the year after suffering the fourth reported concussion of his career. Those repeated brain injuries could force Cameron to hang up his cleats after a six-year career.
- The Dolphins worked out wide receivers Da’Ron Brown, Marcus Johnson, Jay Lee, and Corey Washington today, according to Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com (Twitter link). Miami pass-catcher DeVante Parker is day-to-day with a back injury, so the club is likely just looking for depth.